Fraternity chapter named nation’s best

The Alpha Epsilon chapter of Alpha Delta Gamma made a clean sweep at this year’s national convention in Nashville, coming home with every honor possible, including National Chapter of the Year.

Isaiah Whitfield, vice president, said it was an unforgettable experience.

“Although we worked hard all year and felt good about our achievements, actually winning Chapter of the Year was surreal,” he said.

Other awards earned were the Service Award for most community service and the GPA Award for highest chapter grade point average. Hill Daniel ’13 was named Brother of the Year.

Started on the LaGrange campus in 2006, the group is the youngest on the Hill. But it didn’t take long for it to make its presence known, with several projects benefitting the campus and community.

“In February, we held ‘Cupid’s Clothes Drive,’ where we gathered clothes for Goodwill,” Isaiah said. “We also worked with Habitat for Humanity, and hosted a water pong tournament for the American Cancer Society in honor of an alumni’s father, who recently passed away.”

Members who are athletes also are involved with community service with their teams.

Scholarship is one of the fraternity’s cornerstone beliefs, so the LaGrange group holds study halls to help brothers maintain their grades. That effort is paying off, as the organization has had the highest GPA of any Greek organization on campus for the last three years.

Diversity is important, too.

“Our membership includes captains from many of the college’s sports teams, students from every area of study and leaders in the school’s Student Government Association.”

One of the group’s main goals is to inspire members to become leaders, and Isaiah said the recent awards are validation for the work they are doing.

“The convention itself really opened my eyes as to how we function on a national level,” he said. “It inspired me to come back to my chapter with a renewed sense of pride and determination.”

Marshonntri Reid, Coordinator of Greek Life and Student Organizations, said the fraternity is great examples of the quality of students enrolled at LaGrange College.

“The brothers of Alpha Delta Gamma epitomize the college’s emphasis on service and excellence, and their hard work is proof of that,” she said. “We are so proud of our chapter and their accomplishments.”